MidValleySports.Com

By Tim Peterson

(Azusa) – Azusa Pacific played its first game in the newly renovated on-campus stadium Saturday night against Chapman. There was a dedication and a ribbon cutting before the game as the school celebrated the new Cougar Stadium. Then the game began and although the stands were full and the spirits were high, the outcome wasn’t exactly what the Azusa Pacific faithful had hoped for. Chapman led 20-3 at halftime, held Azusa Pacific scoreless in the second half and went on to beat the Cougars 26-3 in a Division 3 contest.

Chapman set the tone on its first possession driving 54 yards on eight plays to get into the end zone. Fischer Huss capped it with a six-yard run for a 6-0 lead. The extra point attempt was blocked.

Early in the second quarter, after the Cougars buried Chapman on the one-yard line on a perfectly placed punt, the Panthers drove 99 yards on 10 plays with Eli Brandt scoring on a nine-yard run for a 13-0 lead.

Azusa Pacifc got on the board when the Cougars took advantage of a Chapman turnover as Tyler Nolan booted a 39-yard field goal with 2:20 left in the second quarter.

The Panthers answered immediately when two minutes later, Kash Henjum hauled in a six-yard touchdown pass from Brandt to finish a short 44-yard drive. Chapman took a 20-3 lead into halftime.

Early in the third quarter Azusa Pacific quarterback Sawyer Bray went down with an injury and was replaced by Brandon Valencia. Neither team was able to muster much of an offense in the second half.

After a scoreless third quarter, Carson Nichols kicked a 30-yard field goal to increase the Chapman lead to 23-3.

Later in the fourth quarter Valencia was hit while throwing, the ball sailed up and was intercepted with just over eight minutes left in the game.

With 3:30 left, the Panthers’ Nichols split the uprights from 29 yards out for the final tally of the night.

“It was amazing to be back at home. To have the community to rally around us was amazing. Chapman is the standard in our conference right now for our guys to fight and compete the way they did, I’m just proud of that effort,” said Azusa Pacific head coach A.J. Parnell. “I feel like we’re close, but we just got to execute.”

The Cougars weren’t able to get passing attack going but Robert Sarmiento had four receptions for 52 yards. Valencia led the team in rushing with 50 yards on eight carries. Aaron Mitchell had seven totes for 23 yards.

Aldo Olweny and Donovon Beckhom both had a solid night on the defensive side of the ball with 10 tackles each.

For Chapman Huss had a big game on the ground running for 162 yards on 14 carries. Brandt completed 17 of 23 for 159 yards and a touchdown through the air.

Azusa Pacific fell to 1-4 on the season with the defeat while Chapman improved to 5-1.

C 6 14 0 6 26

A 0 3 0 0 3